Loki
by Lyra Raven
Summary: This story follows along the path of the Thor movie, but a girl, Leya Rivers, has replaced Darcy as Jane's intern. Leya has a mysterious, unknown past somehow intertwined with Thor's quest to reclaim his hammer. But Leya first meets Loki, an equally dynamic enigma, and in trying to figure him out, Leya's past gradually begins to resurface, for better or worse.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello all! So it's been a while, but I've decided to revisit this fanfic. I'm revising this one, and once I finish, I'll revise the sequel to it as well. I'm sticking with a lot of the original material in places and just editing for phrasing/word usage, but in other places I'm changing up the events a bit. I'll also be combining (this might lead to some repetition for a bit until I get them sorted out), lengthening, and maybe even adding chapters, and overall just trying to make the story better as a whole. I'll try to post a revised chapter every couple weeks, but apologies in advance for delays. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I hope you are all doing well, and thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 1**

Leya Rivers. 5'1", short. Long black hair. Dark, almost-black brown eyes. At least, Leya Rivers was the name she went by. No one knew her real name, but they'd never really asked. She was just herself, and everyone she knew, which wasn't very many people, accepted her as Leya Rivers.

She seemed like a nice young lady, always polite, but very private and reserved. And yet, she seemed like the kind of person you could say anything to, one you could spill your guts to, and she wouldn't judge you.

At 19 years old, Leya had just started college. She'd had some bumps in the road, but had eventually gotten accepted into Stanford with a double major of pre-medical studies and chemistry, with a minor in music performance. Classes occupied her days, and studying and practicing like mad took up her nights, leaving little time for anything else. She was quiet in class and rarely spoke up, but always did well on assignments and exams.

The second-to-last day of school, the day right after finals finished, Leya was walking out of class when a curly-brown-haired woman got out of a black car parked by the curb and approached her.

"Hey, are you Leya Rivers?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Leya replied slowly, looking up from the papers she was stuffing into her backpack.

"Well, I've got an offer to make you. . . I'm an intern of this scientist who's doing some research on celestial patterns and energy and stuff, but I'm moving to France to live with my boyfriend, so I was wondering if you'd want the position as a summer internship?" the woman asked. She spoke quickly, in a bubbly, energetic voice.

Leya paused to process the run-on sentence, then asked, "How did you find me?"

"Someone recommended you," the woman answered distractedly as she dug into her purse and produced a business card. "Here's my boss's number. Think about it," she held out the card toward Leya.

Leya took the card hesitantly and replied, "Thanks, I'll do that."

"Yes, call if you want the spot. Well, good to meet you. See ya," the woman said. She turned and got back into the car, which immediately pulled away from the curb.

Later that evening, Leya pulled out the card as she waited for her kettle to boil water for a Cup-of-Soup. _Jane Foster, Ph.D., Astrophysicist_ was the name printed on it in black ink. _Well, tomorrow is the last day of school before summer break, and I've got nothing planned. . ._ Leya traced the letters absentmindedly. She was about to reach for the phone just as the kettle screamed. Leya dropped the card and left her phone lying on the kitchen counter.

The next day, Leya saw the card next to her phone as she got ready to leave for class. It made her pause – Leya picked up the card again and stared at it for a few minutes. Finally, she plucked up her courage and dialed the number. After about three and a half rings, someone picked up.

Leya heard some loud static-y rustling before a woman's flustered voice said, "Yes?"

"Um, hi, my name is Leya Rivers, I'm calling about the open intern spot? A woman contacted me about it yesterday."

"OH! Yes! Great!" the woman exclaimed loudly. Leya nearly dropped her phone at the sudden loudness.

"So, I'm interested in the position, what should I do?" she asked once her eardrums recovered slightly.

"Here's the address . . . " the woman recited out a street name and number, "come over tomorrow and you can get started right away!" she added cheerfully.

"Ok, thank you," Leya said, scribbling the address down.

"Great! See you then," the woman said, then hung up.

Leya stood in the kitchen for a couple minutes, staring into space and wondering if she'd made the right choice. _Oh well, I guess tomorrow will tell._ Leya pushed the thought from her mind and she stepped out of her apartment and into the California sunshine.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello all! Here's the next chapter revision – not too many changes this time. Thanks so much for reading._

 **Chapter 2**

The next day, Leya got into her car and drove to the address the woman had given her. It took her to a grey concrete building near the middle of the city. Leya checked the address again as she got out of the car, walked to the door, and knocked.

Several minutes later, just as Leya was ready to give up and leave, the door opened, revealing a woman of medium height with blondish-brown hair.

The woman stared at her blankly for a moment and said, "Hi."

"Hi," Leya replied, equally blandly.

"Leya?" the woman asked. When Leya nodded, the woman broke into a smile. "Well, nice to meet you! I'm Jane Foster, come in."

Leya stepped inside and followed Jane down a dark hallway that eventually opened up into a large, brightly lit room with huge windows and lots of scientific equipment.

"This is Erik Selvig," Jane gestured at a later-aged man bending over a piece of equipment, who looked up and smiled.

"How do you do?" he asked, rising to shake Leya's hand.

Leya smiled back. "Leya Rivers," she introduced herself.

"We don't have time to waste, so we'll get you up to speed on our latest project and teach you how to use the equipment as we go," Jane said.

"Okay," Leya said.

Jane must have heard the slight hesitation in Leya's voice, because she smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, you'll be brilliant. I've heard lots about you."

Leya attempted a vague smile back, inwardly suspicious about how these people knew anything at all about her. But this was worth a shot – Jane and Erik seemed all right, and besides, working with an actual scientist doing actual research would be good experience.

So, Leya dove straight into the proverbial deep end and began learning about the project Jane was currently working on.

"We use this, we call it the waver," she began, waving a multimeter-esque instrument at Leya, "to detect energy waves of a particular frequency. It's pretty quiet, since the frequency is quite rare, but recently we picked up some off-the-charts readings from the middle of the New Mexican desert. We're going to go check it out, so you'll need to pack and get ready for a couple weeks there."

Leya nodded and, apparently satisfied, Jane decided to spend the rest of the day showing Leya the readings they'd picked up and teaching her how to read and use the waver, as well as some other instruments. By the end of the night, Leya was exhausted. She bid farewell Jane and Erik farewell, planning to meet them at the airport for the flight to New Mexico. Leya returned home, packed, then fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next day on the airplane, Leya was sandwiched rather uncomfortably between Erik and Jane. But she stuck her earphones in and bore it until they touched down in New Mexico and exited the airport into an oven.

The heat blasted Leya full on, nearly knocking her off her feet. She could see the waves rising off the ground, giving the barren landscape that wavy, too-hot look. Leya did not deal well with warm temperatures in the first place, but this she could barely breathe in.

Leya hurried after Jane and Erik to a waiting taxi, hoping for air conditioning, but only got a weakly blasting electric fan that the driver pointed mostly at himself. Leya had thought the airport was in the middle of nowhere, but that was before the taxi arrived at the place they were staying. The driver pulled up to what Leya would have called a glorified garage if there hadn't been a big black van parked in an actual garage next to the building. The doors of the house opened like garage doors, and basically half the building was glass. Scenery-wise, the location was a spectacular desert view, but there was really nothing within sight except a few black dots on the horizon which seemed to be a town.

Thankfully, the place was fully air-conditioned and larger than it looked, containing three separate bedrooms, each with their own small bathroom attached. The three of them got settled, and Leya took some time to relax before heading into the kitchen area to join Jane and Erik.

Jane looked up when she entered, "So, the plan is that we'll go investigate the site first thing tomorrow morning. For now, you can take the rest of the day to do whatever."

Leya decided to go over some of the waver readings from yesterday to familiarize herself with the equipment. The patterns somehow seemed strangely familiar, but Leya pushed her uneasiness aside. After a few hours, Leya decided she needed a break. She grabbed her phone and wallet and took a walk to the town she'd seen in the distance, telling Jane that she'd get dinner by herself.

The town was actually closer than it looked, though very small. It was mostly one main street with a couple restaurants and cute cafés, a supermarket, plus random shops, a hospital, cinema, sports center, and various residencies.

Leya walked around and browsed the shops for a bit, then got a bite at one of the cafés. While she was eating, a man entered and ordered a coffee to go. Now Leya was not the kind of girl who made a habit of "checking out" guys, but the man caught her eye mostly because of his attire. He was dressed in a suit, a long, heavy-looking black coat, thick green-striped scarf, and holding a gold walking stick or staff-like thing. Yet despite the heat, he didn't seem bothered or sweating. He was quite tall, at least 6-foot-something, with jet-black hair and brilliant green eyes. The man stood calmly at the counter as he waited. He glanced around, and his cool gaze settled on Leya, who met his eyes unflinchingly. The man held himself proudly, like royalty might, and he had a mysterious, slightly dangerous air to him, all of which seemed reminiscent of someone Leya used to know. . . _Who are you?_ Leya wondered to herself. But then the barista returned with his order. The man said thank you, tipped her, and left with the flash of a smile, glancing briefly back at Leya as he exited.

Leya shivered slightly, thinking of his glacial green eyes. She felt as though something was hiding behind them, and she couldn't put her finger on what it was, but it didn't feel safe. Having lost her appetite, Leya paid for her meal and left.

It was almost completely dark except for the dim starlight when Leya started walking back to the house, but because of the wide-open landscape, she could actually see quite well. And anyway, she rather enjoyed the dark. However after about fifteen minutes, she noticed she didn't feel quite comfortable, that prickly feeling when someone is watching you. Leya didn't stop walking, but she glanced warily around.

Suddenly Leya's shirt was grabbed from behind, and Leya was yanked backwards off her feet. Leya landed hard on the ground and shouted in pain, feeling a weight on top of her and some damp piece of cloth stuffed into her face. She struggled, punching the thing on top of her, which was evidently a person. Suddenly, the weight lifted. Leya quickly stood up, yanking the cloth, which turned out to be a sock, off of her face. Standing in front of her was the man from the café, holding another guy up off the ground by his collar. The man was clearly terrified, and it was hard to tell if he was trying harder to escape or breathe.

"Put him down, and let him go. He's just a petty thief," Leya said calmly, although her heart was racing. The man from the cafe looked at her, equally calmly. Then he slowly lowered the man to the ground, who skittered off into the night, terrified.

"He could have harmed you," the man stated.

"No, he couldn't have. I can look out for myself - there was no need for you to act like a knight in shining armor," Leya said. It was a statement, a matter-of-fact. Not a brag, and not resentful either. "Who are you anyway?" Leya asked.

The man smiled, a slightly amused, condescending smile.

"Loki. . . Laufeyson," the man told her after a minute.

The name sounded. . . _familiar? I'll think about it later. . ._ Leya drew herself up to her full height, an attempt at making herself feel less intimidated, which actually didn't work very well because of her short height and current lack of high heels. The man towered at least a foot over her. Nevertheless, Leya maintained her dignity.

"Well. I suppose, thanks for the. . . rescue," Leya stated.

The man inclined his head. "And you are. . . ?" he asked.

"Leya. Leya Rivers," Leya told him.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lyra," Loki said.

A momentary silence settled, then Leya abruptly said, "Well, I better be going. Maybe I'll see you around some other time, I think I'll be living here for a while."

Loki smiled again, "Yes, I think we most certainly will see each other again." They spent another moment in awkward silence Then Leya nodded, turned around, and walked away. She looked back once as she went, and saw the man – Loki – a figure in black, one hand on his staff, still watching her. Leya shivered involuntarily and turned back around.

Leya got back to the house late – about midnight but it wasn't until around 2 am that Leya jolted awake, realizing what she'd missed about Loki. He'd called her Lyra, a name she hadn't been called in a long time. _How does he know that name? It could have just been a mistake. . . Who is he? That name. . . Laufey. . . .I've heard it somewhere before, I know it! Why can't I remember?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next morning, Leya walked blearily into the kitchen, still in her pajamas. Erik was reading the newspaper and eating toast, and Jane was furiously scribbling in a small notebook with a forgotten cup of coffee by her side. Jane looked up when Leya entered, and frowned.

"You don't look very good. Trouble sleeping?" Jane asked.

"You could say that – I barely slept," Leya replied with an attempt at a smile. She got a cup of coffee and sat down at the table with Jane and Erik.

"So, what's the plan today?" she asked.

Jane put down her pen and showed Leya a map, "This is the area we think the strongest wavelengths are coming off of, so we're going to drive out there and investigate today." She pointed to an area of land a ways north of the house, circled in red.

"We'll leave in about half an hour, ok?" Jane asked.

Leya nodded. She gulped down the rest of her coffee and went to get ready.

Half an hour later, Leya bundled into the black van with Jane, Erik, and what seemed like a hundred tons of equipment. She was feeling good though, despite her lack of sleep and uneasiness from yesterday. Leya enjoyed watching the barren landscape as the trio headed out into the desert. They drove almost all day – the location was evidently farther than it looked on the map – and reached the spot around 3 in the afternoon. Once they arrived, the three of them got out to stretch their cramped legs for a few minutes, then started setting up equipment.

They monitored the area for the rest of the day, but nothing changed. Finally, around 9pm when the sun was going down, it started raining, and they were forced to pack up. Jane was frustrated and irritable that they'd picked up nothing, but Leya kept the waver on and continued monitoring it as they piled everything back into the van. Then just as they started driving, the waver suddenly spiked, emitting a harsh squeal as it did so.

Leya nearly dropped the device. She exclaimed, "The waver just jumped to 300%!"

Jane, who was driving, accelerated in alarm, "What?!"

Leya showed her the waver once Jane got the car back under control, "About a hundred yards ahead."

Suddenly, they heard a loud crack, like a thunder bolt, and a huge column of light descending from the sky. The trio screamed, and Jane swerved the van to get out of the way – right toward a figure that appeared seemingly out of nowhere in front of them. Jane didn't have time to turn, and they braced themselves for impact, colliding with the person with a dead-sounding thud. Jane slammed on the brakes, and the three of them lurched forward. Jane was the first out of the car. She ran around to the front, closely followed by Leya and then Erik.

The figure – it was a man – was lying on the ground, motionless, in front of the van. Jane knelt next to him, and Erik looked around.  
"How the hell did he get out here? There's no one around, no cars, nothing except us," he mused.

Leya shook her head, "I don't know." She glanced down at the waver, which had stopped squealing, and put it away.

"Are you all right? Can you hear me?" Jane was asking the man, who was slowly regaining consciousness. The man had sandy blonde hair, about shoulder length, and a scruffy-looking beard. He was extremely buff, which seemed to have some kind of effect on Jane, who kind of paused dazedly.

The man shook his head and said muddily, "I am Thor, son of Odin, of Asgard. And I demand to –" Jane heard a whizzing noise, and the man's speech was cut off. Jane turned to see Leya holding a stun gun, the bullet of which was lodged in the man's throat.

"Leya! Why would you do that! It's bad enough that I ran him over, but then you had to go and stun-gun him?!" she exclaimed.

Leya slowly lowered the stun gun. "Let's just get him in the car and get to the hospital," she said calmly, although inside, she felt rather shaky. Jane shook her head, exasperated, but didn't protest. They loaded the man into the trunk and took off to the nearest hospital, which was in the sleepy little town Leya had visited the previous day.

Most of the hospital staff seemed to think the man was insane – they kept having to sedate him because he would wake up and start fighting or spewing nonsense. Eventually, they managed to knock him out with enough medications and used restraints to keep him in the hospital bed. Leya couldn't really blame them – the man did sound rather crazy. She perched uneasily on an uncomfortable waiting room chair while Jane and Erik filled out paperwork at the desk. Looking around, Leya suddenly saw the man she'd met yesterday, Loki, enter through the hospital doors. He glanced over at the desk, then disappeared through the doors heading to the exam rooms. Suspicious, Leya got up and followed him at an anxious distance

As she'd expected, Loki entered the man, Thor's, room. Leya stood with her ear pressed to the crack between the door and the wall to listen.

"Thor," Loki's calm and cool voice. A grunt and a rustle.

"Loki? What are you doing here?" Thor managed to get out. He sounded like he had a headache. _All those meds,_ Leya mused to herself.

"I came to tell you the bad news. Father is dead. The attack by the Frost Giants, and your banishment, it was all too much for him to take," Loki replied. Another, louder, rustle,

"What? No, no! I have to go back!" Thor exclaimed, his voice rising. He sounded like he was struggling to stand.

"No, Thor. The burden of ruler of Asgard has fallen to me, and I will not undo the former ruler's last order. You cannot come back," Loki replied, still calm and collected. There was a moment of silence, then a muffled thump, which Leya took to be Thor falling back on the bed.

"I suppose. . . you are right, Brother. Tell my friends I am all right. Take good care of Asgard, and mother," Thor sounded defeated. Another pause.

"Very well. Goodbye, brother," Loki said.

Leya quickly scooted back and down the hall a ways as she heard Loki's footstep toward the door. A moment later, the door opened, and Loki exited. He immediately turned down the hall and left through the doors to the waiting room.

Leya exhaled in relief, but her mind was racing. These men were Asgardians. _Asgardians!_ She hadn't heard that word in a long time. _Asgardians!_ And the sons of the King of Asgard at that! Thor and Loki Odinson! She'd heard stories of Odin and Odin's father, heard of the great battles they'd fought. _What would Ania think –_ she began to think excitedly, but quickly stopped herself, remembering that her best friend wasn't there. Hadn't been for a long time, just like everything else.

But then another thought raced into her mind. Were they safe? Her friends? Nidavellir? As the new king of Asgard, would Loki keep the alliance between Asgard and Nidavellir? She didn't know Loki, and despite the fact that he'd saved her life, she absolutely did not trust him. Her uncertainty and ignorance frustrated Leya to no small degree. Just then, Jane and Erik entered through the waiting room doors and headed toward Thor's room.

"Where have you been!?" Jane asked Leya before she entered. Erik followed her, and Leya followed him.

Leya nearly crashed into Erik and Jane, who had stopped short. Peering over their shoulders, Leya saw the bed was empty, the restraints broken, and the curtain fluttering around the open window.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The trio scoured the hospital, but after no luck finding Thor, all they could do was notify the staff.

"Well, we might as well go back to the house," Erik suggested. Jane sighed and nodded. The three exited the hospital and piled back into the black van, but just as Jane was backing up, they heard a loud thump on the back of the car. Jane slammed on the brakes, and all three got out. Lying on the ground again, though thankfully not unconscious, was Thor.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry," Jane said, flustered, as she tried to help him up.

 _Where the hell have you been!_ Leya thought inwardly as she and Erik joined Jane in picking Thor up off the ground.

Thor stood, rubbing his head, "I –"

Jane directed him toward the van, "You're coming back with us, it's the least I can do after running into you – twice." The three of them helped him into the back and drove back to the house. At the house, they gave him clean clothes. Erik had to show him how to work the shower, which made Erik raise his eyebrows, but Thor just grinned and thanked him.

While Thor was showering, Jane, Erik, and Leya hung in the kitchen, reviewing their data. At one point, Jane switched on the television.

" _. . . meteorite of some sort landed in the middle of the New Mexican desert last night and attracted quite a lot of local attention. It appears some kind of metal object was lodged inside the rock – could it be the proof of extraterrestrial life humans have been searching for?"_ Leya glanced up at the screen and saw a huge crater the meteorite had created, surrounded by dusty pickups and swarming with people trying to pull the thing out of the meteorite. The thing looked strangely like. . .

Just then, Thor came down the stairs – shirtless – drying his hair. Jane glanced up, her eyes flicking to his muscled abdomen, then quickly back to her notebook.

"So, who are you, and where exactly are you from?" Jane asked as Thor sat down at the table with them.

"My name is Thor, son of Odin. I come from Asgard, where my father cast me out. I must find Mjolnir so I can return. My father. . . " Thor momentarily faltered, "my father has died, and my brother, Loki, has taken control of Asgard. It is my duty to return home to reclaim my throne and protect Asgard. Will you help me?" Thor asked.

Jane's eyes had widened, Erik looked calmly skeptical, and although Leya looked unruffled, her heart was pounding and her head bursting with a thousand questions. _Mjolnir! That must be the thing in the meteorite._

"Uh, um. . . " Jane said hesitantly,

Erik turned to her, "Jane, no. You shouldn't. This – " he gestured for Jane to move away from the table with him. The two went into the corner and continued discussing. By straining her ears, Leya could hear them.

". . . person is a madman. All these things he's talking about, they're all fake. The stories of Thor and the Norse gods, Mjolnir, they're children stories I listened to growing up. Don't waste your time on him."

The two of them debated for a while longer, but Leya sat just watching Thor, who was watching Jane and Erik. Finally, Jane nodded, and they both came back over to the table.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you. Do you have a family member or friend to call. . . ?" Jane started to ask, but Thor stood abruptly.

"Then I will make the venture alone," he said, and left. Just like that.

The trio sat a bit stunned at the kitchen table.

"Well, I guess that's that," Erik mused and went back to fiddling with a piece of equipment. Jane stood in the middle of the room, looking a bit winded for a moment, but regained herself and went back to her notebook. Leya tried to refocus on the waver, but her mind was wandering, and she couldn't concentrate. Finally, she put down the waver and grabbed her wallet and the van keys.

"I'm going for a drive to get some air," she told Jane, who nodded absently without looking up.

Leya drove into town, where she noticed Thor through the window of a pet store. Leya idled the van by the curb, torn between Jane's decision not to help and her own desire. _Screw it,_ she thought and pulled up in front of Thor as he was leaving the store.

"Do you still need a ride?" she asked. Thor paused, looking surprised, then nodded and slid into the passenger seat.

As she drove, Leya snuck side-long glances at Thor. He certainly didn't look particularly outstanding except for his incredibly muscled body. Finally, she broke the silence.

"So, you're from Asgard?"

Thor turned to her, "Yes."

"One of the nine realms."  
"Yes."

Trying to sound casual, Leya took a breath and asked, "Out of curiosity, does Asgard have any connection, or. . . alliances say, with any of the other realms? Like, Nidavellir, for a random example?"

Thor looked at her funny, and Leya cringed inwardly. _Wow_ _real subtle . . ugh. Talking was never your strong suit._

Thor replied, "Yes, we were allies with them for a very long time."

"Did. . . something happen?"

"They went dark. Stopped communicating, stopped trade. We couldn't even reach them through the Bifrost. That's our portal between realms."

"Oh," Leya said quietly, this time successfully masking her emotions.

"Why are you helping me? Your mentors refused to," Thor asked after a minute.

Leya sighed. "That's a long story," she said, "and one that we don't have time for, because we're here." Leya pulled up alongside the crater she'd seen on the news.

"Looks like the Feds got here first," Leya observed as they got out of the van.

Leya saw a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo splashed on the side of an idle helicopter near the crater. She stood together with Thor and stared down at a complex of plastic tunnels like a hive around a larger central dome.

"Mjolnir must be in there," Thor said.  
"Well, let's go knock on the front door," Leya replied, and headed down the crater wall. They reached an entrance and were stopped by an armed guard. Leya smiled brightly.

"Hi! I'm Lena Meyers, and this is Stuart Jones. We're interns of a professor doing research on various spectrums of non-electromagnetic radiation, and our professor sent us here to record observations. Here's my ID," she said, quickly flicking up a fake, yet extraordinarily well-forged, ID. Thor raised an eyebrow, but Leya ignored him. Unfortunately, so did the guard.

"I'm sorry, you can't come in here," the guard said without glancing at the ID.

Leya huffed, pretending to be disappointed, "Look, I know you're just doing your job, but our professor is at the breaking point of a discovery, and it's crucial for her to get these observations to confirm her data. Can we please just go in for a minute?"

The guard stared at her for a minute, and Leya stared straight back at him. Thor had to admire her nerve. Finally the guard said, "Wait here" and disappeared inside. Moments later he returned with none other than Agent Philip Coulson. Leya wanted to leap up and hug him, but instead, she just raised her eyebrows, mentally asking Coulson to be lenient.

But Coulson shook his head, "I apologize, but you can't enter. This is strictly classified, despite your, ah, unique position." Thor looked confused, but Leya ignored him, feeling just a bit annoyed. But she knew when to push things, so instead of persisting, she nodded and turned around, motioning for Thor to follow. They walked away and glanced back to see Coulson disappear back inside, the guard following him. Just as Coulson and the guard disappeared out of sight, Leya heard a scuffle behind her. She whirled around to see Thor dashing toward the tunnel complex. _Oh for goodness sake! The idiotic nerve. . ._ Leya thought to herself. She rolled her eyes, then started after him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Thor tore through the tunnels, knocking out guards as he went. "Thor! Stop!" Leya cried as she sprinted after him. He paid no heed, and eventually reached the middle of the complex. It suddenly started to absolutely pour. _Lovely_ Leya thought as she skidded to a halt in the mud next to Thor. Thor paused a moment, then walked over and grasped the handle of Mjolnir. Leya watched, nearly holding her breath, as Thor pulled upward.

Nothing happened. Thor couldn't get the hammer out of the rock. Vexed, he flexed his muscles and tried harder, but to no avail. Leya had to admit she was rather disappointed. Thor slumped to his knees, defeated, in the mud around the hammer, and for a moment the only sound was the noise of the rain pounding the synthetic roofing. Then S.H.I.E.L.D. agents flooded in and arrested them both.

Thor and Leya were taken to holding rooms separated by some sort of sound-proof glass. Coulson questioned Thor for a while, then entered Leya's room.

"You've got some nerve," he commented.

Leya resisted rolling her eyes, "I was following Thor, I swear it wasn't a plot. You know me, Coulson."

Coulson started pacing, "You're right, I do know you, and too well. Which is why I know you weren't just giving that man a lift for the heck of it. You're investigating. What do you think you'll find?"

"Why do you care?" Leya shot back. _Come on, Coulson._

Coulson crossed his arms, "I don't really think you're in a position to ask questions right now, Rivers."

Leya hesitated, then decided to tell the truth. Coulson might be friendly with her, but she knew he'd put her 'under strict surveillance' if he suspected she might be any kind of threat to Earth.

"I think he's telling the truth about who he is, despite the fact that he couldn't lift that hammer. My. . . mentor, Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, and I have been spending the last couple days with him. Coulson, he came out of the sky on a giant, golden-rainbow-shining stream of light. What does that sound like? And. . . well I think I met his brother, whose name happens to be Loki. Loki Laufeyson," Leya confessed.

Coulson looked blank, ". . . That name doesn't mean anything to me. . ."

"Oh, well, it does to me," Leya said.

"Still, that doesn't give us enough evidence to believe him. For now, he's still rambling like a madman, an angry madman, and we can't release him for a bit. You'll have to stay too, but I'll see what I can do to get you out as soon as possible," Coulson replied.

"No! I'm not leaving here without him," Leya exclaimed stubbornly.

Coulson sighed, exasperated, "He isn't another one of your lost puppies, Rivers."

Leya glared at him, indignant, and Coulson sighed again, "All right. I'll see what I can do to get you _both_ released as soon as possible." Leya nodded, and Coulson turned to leave.

"Do you believe him?" Leya asked just as he reached the door. Coulson paused, because he knew she was asking him personally, not for a professional opinion. He turned back with one hand on the doorknob.

"At this point with all the crazy stuff that's happened? I'm not sure anymore. Who knows?," he replied, shrugging. Then he exited, the door clicking behind him, leaving Leya alone with her thoughts.

After an agonizing hour or so, Leya saw a flash of something from Thor's side of the glass that caught her eye. Leya jumped, or at least that she mentally, since she couldn't actually move in the restraints tying her to the chair. She saw Loki appear in the cell with Thor. _What the. . ._

Thor looked just as surprised. He looked up at Loki, who seemed to tower over Thor, also sitting in a chair, despite the fact that Thor was quite a tall person to begin with. Loki was dressed in the same coat and scarf as when Leya had met him, and he still commanded his cold, regal grace. Loki and Thor conversed, which Leya couldn't hear, but she saw Thor becoming agitated. By the end of their talk, Loki still looked unperturbed, but Thor looked even more diminished. Leya bit her lip, wondering what Loki had told him.

Just then, Loki turned and looked at her through the glass divider. Leya shivered, then let out a brief shriek when he disappeared and reappeared on her side of the wall.

Loki stared down at her, and it intimidated her a bit, which was something Leya wasn't used to. _Laufeyson. . . why is that name so familiar?_

"Ok, who the hell are you and what do you want?" Leya asked, having recovered her dignity slightly.

The man's face remained expressionless. "I told you, I am Loki. As for what I want. . . I came here for my brother, Thor." He gestured to his left at Thor, who was watching them intently through the glass.

"But why?" Leya asked, feeling almost like a child asking the question.

"We have some. . . familial matters to deal with," Loki replied vaguely. "Why do you care?"

"Because it matters to me!" Leya hissed ferociously. Loki smiled slyly in delight at her response, "Well aren't you the little tiger."

Leya glared daggers at him. Loki just kept smiling.  
"I'll see you again soon. . . Raven," Loki said, then disappeared in an instant.

Frustrated and angry, Leya sputtered a couple breaths. _He answered nothing! And you! You sounded like a baby!_ Leya was annoyed – annoyed that she had no answers, that she wasn't even sure of the questions to ask. She slumped back in her chair, then turned to see Thor staring at her. Leya tilted her head in an implicit shrug, and both she and Thor seemed to decide there was nothing left to do. . . but wait. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Hours later, Leya was feeling tired and cranky when the door finally opened. Coulson walked in, with Jane and Erik close on his heels, and un-cuffed Leya from the chair.

"You're free to go. Stay out of trouble, Rivers," he said. Leya rubbed her sore wrists and scowled at him, then gestured to Thor's room.

"You said you'd get him out too."  
Coulson sighed, "So I did. All right, he can go too, just keep him away from here. We don't need any more trouble." Leya nodded, and the trio followed Coulson to Thor's cell, where he un-cuffed Thor and led them all out together.

"All right, get out of here," Coulson said to them at the entrance, and the four of them walked off.

No one said anything on the van drive back to the house. Leya for her part was too irritable, Jane was likely furious, Erik too scared to upset Jane, and Thor was staring pensively out the window. When they arrived, Jane entered first, followed by Leya, Thor, and finally Erik. Jane tossed her keys onto the kitchen counter and turned around, hands on her hips.

"What was that? What the hell happened?!" she demanded.

Leya sighed tiredly, "Just, please Jane, give me a bit to wind down. I've got a lot to think about.

"Oh, yes you sure do. Going off like that, stealing the car, and then helping a mentally unstable person find a supposed legendary hammer of the Norse Gods is bad enough, but then you had to get yourself arrested! We didn't know where you were or what happened to you, and you were gone for hours! The only reason we knew to come get you was that agent Toreson person called us," Jane vented.

"Coulson," Leya interjected, "And I didn't _steal_ the car."

"WHATEVER!" Jane shouted, "You are THIS close to losing your position with me, so I suggest you save any snide comments for later!"

 _Jeez, you sound like my mother_ Leya thought, but was too tired to argue back. But Thor jumped in.

"Excuse me, please. It was really all my fault. Leya was just driving, and I stopped her and convinced her to take me to Mjolnir. I'm the reason she got arrested," Thor said. Leya gave him a grateful half-smile.

Jane stopped talking. She still looked angry, but was now at a loss for words. _And the muscly handsome stranger magic strikes again. . ._ Leya thought to herself, internally smirking slightly.

"All right. Let's. . . all sleep on this, and we'll talk about it tomorrow," Jane said, calming down considerably. She then went upstairs and shut the door to her room. Leya sighed, then headed up to her room to shower.

Leya didn't sleep at all that night, though. Instead, she lay awake thinking about the events of the day. Mostly Loki. But also how intent Thor had been on getting to the hammer, which made it hard for Leya to believe he wasn't the Asgardian prince he claimed to be. But why was he here? What implications did his visit have for Earth, for the nine realms, for. . . her home? And what about his brother, Loki? Leya didn't know exactly what to think of him, but she knew he was dangerous, and she should keep her distance from the whole situation. Yet she knew it would eventually end up involving her in some way or another and there was something so bizarrely familiar about Loki. Not just the fact that she'd read the ancient stories about the Asgardian royalty and her own storybooks from Earth, though of course that must be where the name Laufeyson rang a bell from. It was as if he resembled someone she knew once. Maybe Loki and Thor coming here to Earth represented all she had lost, and all she would never have again. Having the two here brought her so close to home, yet also so far away and it hurt that she knew she would never return. By the early morning hours, Leya had resolved to tell Jane the truth. She had no desire to complicate the situation more than she already had, and it might have just been her fuzzy 2am brain talking, but she decided the best course of action would be to come clean. _Might as well. It's not as if it will do any harm. . . right?_ Leya waited in bed until 5am, when she finally arose to make tea and face another day.

Erik was already in the kitchen when Leya entered. He glanced up from his newspaper and slid a cup of coffee toward her.

Leya shook her head, "I don't drink coff-"  
"You're going to need it today," Erik cut her off. Leya stared at the mug for a minute, then took it and sat down.

Erik folded his paper, then crossed his arms and looked at Leya.

"Look, I don't know who exactly you are, but I get the feeling you're more deeply involved in this whole Thor mess than Jane suspects. But you know what, I don't really care about you. I care about Jane, and if you're holding back something that might put her in danger, it's my job to make you tell her," Erik said.

Leya looked down at her coffee for a moment, then back at Erik.

"I know. And I'm going to tell her, today," she replied.

"Okay. Good," Erik nodded, then went back to reading his paper. Just like that.  
Leya marveled at him. This man was willing to accept whoever she was, just so long as she didn't put Jane in danger. Part of her envied him for how simply he looked at the world. Either something put someone he cared about in danger, or didn't, and none of the thousands of grey areas seemed to faze him in the least. _I wish I could've been more like that. . ._ Leya thought to herself as she took a first sip of the coffee, bracing herself for the bitter sting. Surprisingly, it didn't taste too bad. _I guess some things do change_.

An hour and two cups of Erik's ridiculously strong coffee later, Leya looked up to see Jane coming downstairs looking much calmer and refreshed. Immediately, Leya stood.

"I need to tell you something, Jane," she blurted out.

Jane looked at her, crossed her arms, and said, "OK, say it."

Leya pointed at a chair, "Sit down, it's a long story." Jane sat. Leya pulled up a chair across from her and took a deep breath, but just as she was about to start talking, they heard a loud rap on the glass door. The two women jumped and turned around. Four people, three men and one women, were standing at the door, all clad in astonishing medieval-esque outfits. Jane rose and went to the door, closely followed by Leya.

"Hello," Jane said tentatively. "Um, if you're wanting directions the town is a couple miles that way. . . " Jane pointed.

Just then, Thor came downstairs just then, but upon seeing the people at the door, Thor stopped. His face broke into a wide grin and he opened his arms in greeting.  
"My friends!" he exclaimed joyously.

"You know them?" Jane asked as she stepped aside and let them in. Leya admired their weaponry as they passed by her, especially the woman's double-bladed sword.

"Yes, they are my four closest friends from Asgard – Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, and Lady Sif. My friends, meet Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, and Leya Rivers. They have been, very kind to me," Thor said. Each of the people – they must have been warriors of some sort – dipped their heads in greeting. The trio stared at them, Jane slightly agape, Erik with interest, and Leya respectfully.

Thor, evidently pleased with himself, turned back to the four warriors. "What are you doing here?" he inquired.

The woman, Lady Sif, stepped forward, "We've come to bring you home, Thor."

Thor shook his head sadly, "I am afraid I cannot return. Loki will not bring me home, as an act of honoring our father's last order, and I – I cannot lift Mjolnir." The four warriors looked dismayed.

"Thor," Lady Sif began again, "I. . . I am not entirely sure you ought to be following Loki's orders. We," at this she gestured at the other three warriors, "we believe he may be plotting the downfall of Asgard in your absence."

The mention of Loki caught Leya's attention, and she listened intently.

Thor frowned, "What evidence do you have for such an accusation?"

"He has been acting. . . strangely lately. He's changed. We are supposed to be his friends, but he made us bow to him. And Heimdall could not see Loki for a long period of time the last we heard. I am not sure his power is good for him," Lady Sif replied.

"I see," was all Thor said in reply, "Yet, I fear I cannot do anything to change it. I am, quite literally, powerless. But you, my friends, you must go back and learn as much as you can about Loki's plans. Protect Asgard. Perhaps I will be able to return someday."

Disappointed, the four warriors nodded grimly and turned to go, but then Jane stepped forward.

"Oh, but wait, why – why don't you stay a bit? Just for a few hours. I'm sure you're tired and hungry from traveling. Sit down, we'll get you something to eat and drink," Jane said. Leya knew Jane must be dying to ask questions – how often do you get four, no five, people from an entire other realm sitting in your living room – so she didn't protest.

"I'll go make something," Leya offered. _Saving Asgard will just have to wait,_ she thought to herself as she entered the kitchen to make coffee and sandwiches.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Leya threw out the used coffee grinds and placed a fresh filter into the coffee maker. She had just turned it on when Lady Sif came up next to her.

"May I offer any assistance?" she asked, "I may be a warrior, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to prepare food."

"Oh, well if you could just get bread, ham, and cheese out of there," Leya pointed at the refrigerator, "that would be great. Thanks." Leya gave her a smile, which Lady Sif returned. While the two women put together the sandwiches and waited for the coffee, it struck Leya that she might be able to ask Lady Sif some questions of her own.

"Excuse me, Lady Sif, but I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions," Leya said, breaking the silence.

Lady Sif looked up, "Of course. And please, just call me Sif."

"All right. I – I was curious about Loki. Could you tell me more about him?" Leya asked.

"Depends what you want to know," Sif replied.

Leya thought for a minute, then decided to reveal what she knew. "Well, I actually met him," she confided to Sif. Then Leya told her about all her encounters with Loki, including their initial meeting, his visit to Thor's hospital room, and his appearance in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s holding rooms.

Lady Sif's eyes widened in surprise at first, then she frowned. "If Loki is on Earth as well, this may not bode well for the planet. I do not know whether his purpose here is merely to keep a watch on Thor, or to plan the demise of your planet as well as ours. Either way," here she gave a hard look at Leya, "I think you'd do best to steer clear of him. Loki is cunning to begin with. Coupled with his power and current status as King of Asgard, that much cleverness could make him very dangerous."

Leya nodded and fell silent. The two women finished preparing food and brought the sandwiches and coffee out to the others. The three warriors looked relieved when Sif and Leya returned – it appeared Jane had been grilling them quite fiercely. Leya smiled wryly. _Three fully-fledged Asgardian warriors, taken on by a mere Earth scientist. That's not something you see every day_.

". . . and so there are nine realms? What are their names again?" Jane was asking. Leya listened for a while, but eventually stopped because they were questions she already knew the answers to. Leya let her thoughts drift inward, and they inevitably lead back to Loki. Suddenly taken by a spark of inspiration, Leya excused herself and headed up to her room where she shut the door.

Not bothering to turn on the light, Leya booted up her laptop and searched through her files until she found one titled "Nidavellir Records – Asgard Alliance" and was about to click on it when she heard something behind her. Immediately, Leya whirled around and stood up, coming face-to-face with none other than Loki himself.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with an exclamation.

"No need to sound so hostile," Loki replied mildly, "I've come to give you answers, which, based on your conversation with Sif, you appear to be in dire need of."

Leya eyed him warily, "What do you do, stalk everybody? I thought that was Heimdall's job."

Loki let out a short laugh, "That's very amusing, but no, I don't stalk everybody – only you."

"Why me?"

"You interest me," Loki smiled, "And I know you have history with the Asgardians that you aren't telling Jane about."

"That's none of your concern," Leya hissed through clenched teeth. _How dare he_. . .

Loki leaned closer, "Oh, but I think it is."

Leya froze, momentarily captivated by his emerald green eyes, inches away from her dark brown ones. Her breath caught, but she quickly regained composure. Loki blinked slowly, as if he were regarding his prey.

"Let's make a deal," he said, straightening and beginning to pace, "You tell me about yourself, and I'll answer your questions."

Leya crossed her arms, "I don't make deals, there's always a catch."

Loki smiled condescendingly, "Oh, no, not in this one, darling. I think you'll find that I like to make myself very clear, and I never go back on my word once I've given it. . ." He stopped pacing. Leya shivered inwardly. _You sound like someone I know – knew._

Loki was like a cat and Leya a helpless mouse, a position she did not like. Sif was right – Loki was dynamic and slippery. Leya didn't trust him for a second, and yet something was frighteningly enthralling about him. She felt like she would always be a step behind whatever schemes were running through his mind.

Leya considered for several minutes, then said, "Here are my terms: question for a question, although I don't know why you're bothering to ask since you already seem to know all about me, but I'll do it. And I promise not to lie, so long as you don't, but I go first."

Loki nodded in agreement, "Very well."

Leya took a breath, "Are you and Thor – and the warriors – really from Asgard?"

Loki snorted, "If I had known you were going to ask silly questions. . ."

"Just answer the damn question," Leya interrupted.

"All right, calm your feathers. The answer is yes," Loki replied, then asked, "What is a Nidavellirian Assassin doing on Earth?"

"That is none of your business. But, since we made an agreement, I'm here because I can't go home," Leya replied, the words tasting bitter in her mouth.

"What is a Prince of Asgard doing on Earth?" she shot back.

Loki smiled with mirth, "That's none of your business either, but since we did make an agreement, I'm here for Thor. The truth is, I need him to stay here and never come back to Asgard, or I will never have the throne I deserve." Then he asked, "What is your real full name?"

Leya hesitated, her pause filling the space between them, then she said, "Lyra. Master Lyra Raven." Leya was silent for a moment, feeling the weight of the name settle in the still air of the room. Loki nodded, as if something he'd suspected had just been confirmed. This broke Leya out of her reverie, and she asked softly, "When. . . if. . . you become King of Asgard, will you keep the alliance with Nidavellir? Will you help. . . us, keep us safe?"

Loki suddenly moved forward and took both of Leya's hands in his own. Surprised, Leya looked up, straight into his green eyes again.

"Yes," Loki said, and it was the first thing out of his mouth that Leya truly believed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Mesmerized, Leya couldn't tear herself away from Loki's gaze. She barely noticed when he brought his hand up to the level of her cheek. But she did notice when he gently brushed a piece of hair away from her eyes. Leya stumbled backward in surprise, and Loki released her hands to catch her. Finding herself even closer to Loki, Leya quickly broke out of his hold.

"No," she said, shaking her head fast, "No. Please leave. I – I won't tell anyone what we talked about, and I would have you do the same. Just, please leave."

Loki let his arms drop back to his sides. His face impassive, Loki stood stiffly, then disappeared in a cloud of dark green smoke. Still shaken, Leya leaned against the wall. _Why does he have such an effect on you?_ Leya shivered, the ghost of Loki's embrace still wrapped around her. _Is it because he feels so familiar? Is that why you know he's trouble, but you can't stay away? Can't stop. . . caring?_

Suddenly, Leya heard a crash from downstairs. She quickly made her way across the room and exited, rushing down the stairs. In the living room, Leya saw everyone standing and staring out the glass doors, the coffee cups and dishes shattered on the kitchen floor. _That's what the crash was_. Then Leya followed everyone's gaze. Outside in the blistering early-morning sunshine, heading straight for the town, was a giant metal. . . thing. It resembled a man, but Leya couldn't tell the details of its construction from their distance away.

"The Destroyer," Sif breathed, "Loki must have released it!"

"What?!" Leya exclaimed, though more as rhetorical statement than an actual question. _How did he get back to Asgard so quickly!?_

Thor was the first to break the suspense.  
"We have to help. I cannot fight – I am powerless without my hammer – but I can get the people of the town to safety. My friends, can you buy me some time?" he asked. The four warriors nodded.

"You've changed," Lady Sif commented. Thor looked at Sif, and something unspoken seemed to pass between them. Then he glanced at Jane, "Perhaps I have. I have certainly learned." Jane smiled, a smile that Thor returned. Leya noticed Sif looked rather crestfallen.

Attempting to dispel the awkwardness of the silence, Leya stepped in, "I can help Sif and the others, I'm better at fighting than comforting." Thor eyed her a bit skeptically, but nodded in assent all the same.

"All right. Jane and Erik, will you help me, then?" Thor asked, turning to the two.

Jane and Erik nodded. The group took a few minutes to prepare, and Leya looked around for something to use as a weapon. For the sake of time and lack of better options, she gathered up some kitchen knives and wrapped them in a towel as a sheath. Sif gave her a strange look but didn't comment.

"Ready?" Thor asked. The group nodded, and headed out toward the town.

The small town was in chaos. The Destroyer, easily over twenty feet tall, was taking its sweet time meandering down Main street, crushing cars and people and setting buildings on fire. The metal where its eyes would have been – had it been a human – rolled down and opened up to reveal what looked like furnaces from which fiery ribbons shot out and set everything the streams touched alight. People screamed and ran, trying to find shelter from the destruction and keep their families together. Thor, Jane, and Erik quickly started herding the people to take shelter in the buildings that were more stable and farther from the Destroyer's reach while Leya, Sif, and the warriors three ran to face the metal monster.

The group of five stood proudly in front of the Destroyer. Sif unsheathed her double-bladed sword, Fandral his sabre, Volstagg readied his axe, and Hogun gave his Morgenstern a spin. Leya gripped one of the kitchen knives firmly in her hand, thinking how long it had been since she'd actually fought with a weapon. Not to mention how silly she felt dressed in jeans and a T-shirt while holding kitchen knives wrapped in a bright green dishtowel. _Please, just don't let yourself die today,_ she pleaded to herself.

But it turned out Leya had nothing to worry about. As the five of them started attacking the Destroyer, Leya found her knife-throwing skills hadn't deteriorated a bit. Her aim was as sharp as ever as she tossed the kitchen knives at the Destroyer, landing them in strategic ways so as to slide between the slats in between the metals strips rather than bouncing off the flats. Suddenly, the Destroyer flung its metal hand out and caught Volstagg in the chest, smashing him into the front of a car. Just as the Destroyer leaned over Volstagg and opened its eye-furnaces to cook him, Lady Sif leapt onto the Destroyer's back and stabbed it straight through the back of its head. Everyone paused to watch. The Destroyer's eye-furnaces flickered, then went dark. Sif pulled out her sword, and everyone exhaled in relief. But suddenly the Destroyer's eye-furnaces flared back to life, hotter and brighter than before, and Sif was thrown from its back. The group swung back into action.

Out of knives, Leya looked around frantically. To her right, she noticed a gun store. _Thank goodness this is America_ she thought to herself as she rushed in and grabbed a shotgun off a display wall. She paused for a moment, then grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows as well, just in case. Besides, it felt good to have the familiar weapons slung over her shoulder. Leya ran outside, hoping the shotgun would have some greater effect on the Destroyer. But the Destroyer was a brutal enemy, and despite their perseverance, Leya and the others could quickly see it was gaining the upper hand.

Leya glanced back at Thor, who was still ushering people to safety with Jane and Erik. Thor looked at Leya and his friends fighting, and losing, valiantly, then looked at the Destroyer. He hesitated a moment, then started walking toward the Destroyer. Leya and the warriors faltered as he approached.

"Thor, what are you doing? You'll get yourself killed!" Lady Sif shouted at him. Jane and Erik looked up and, noticing Thor, ran after him as well. Thor approached the Destroyer and stopped about ten feet from him. He looked up. The Destroyer stopped, well, destroying, as the name implies, to stare down at him.

"I know what you want, Loki," Thor said, "It's me. So please, take me. Don't continue hurting these people when they have done you no wrong. They are innocent. Take me."

Time seemed to stop as Leya, Jane, Erik, Sif, and the warriors watched the Thor face the Destroyer. The Destroyer remained motionless for a long moment, then its eye-furnaces went dark, and the metal slats rose to cover them. The Destroyer straightened, then started turning around. Thor closed his eyes and exhaled in relief. But suddenly, the Destroyer's hand swung out and caught Thor in the chest, flinging him backward. Thor crashed on the ground several meters away, and the Destroyer walked away, disappearing in a bright light.

Everyone ran to Thor, Jane arriving first. She knelt down next to Thor and cradled his head in her hands.

"No, no, Thor, stay with me," Jane stammered. Thor groaned weakly. Jane held him until he lost consciousness, seemingly unaware of the tears on her cheeks. Suddenly, the group heard a whizzing sound. Everyone looked up, except Jane who was still focused on Thor. Leya shielded her eyes from the sun to see a small, dense-looking object soaring through the air, heading straight for Thor.

Erik noticed too and hurried up the Jane.

"Jane, leave him. You've got to leave him, come on," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No!" Jane protested. Erik glanced back up at the sky and, seeing the object approaching fast, motioned to Leya. The two of them quickly dragged Jane out of the way, just as Thor's hand shot up.

A bright light flashed that made everyone turn away, shielding their eyes. When they turned back around, there stood Thor, a Norse God in all his glory, his fist wrapped around the handle of the mighty hammer, Mjolnir.

Lady Sif and the warriors three broke into wide grins, Jane and Erik looked stunned, and Leya just stared. Thor smiled at everyone, almost goofily.

Just then, a bright golden beam of light shot down from the sky, temporarily blinding everyone again. When the light cleared, Loki stepped forward, clad in black, gold, and green Asgardian garb, complete with a helmet of golden horns and carrying a golden staff.

"Well, it appears you have become worthy once more, brother," he spoke condescendingly.

Thor eyed him suspiciously. "Loki, you had best leave this planet while you still can. Know that I will protect it and everyone on it."

"Why?" Loki asked, "Is it because of her?" he pointed to Jane. "Can you not see how inconsequential these little human lives are?"

"Not inconsequential," Thor growled.

"Very well, suit yourself," Loki shrugged, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go destroy Jotunheim." He stood, waiting for the Bifrost to open again.

"Jotunheim? But that's the Frost Giants –" Sif was cut off as the Bifrost opened in all its shining, golden glory and streamed down, enveloping Loki. Just as it was about to close, something she couldn't put a finger on compelled Leya into action. She sprinted to the Bifrost and leaped into the stream just as the light extinguished.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Leya felt a rushing around her and all she could see was bright light. She felt as if she were underwater and being pulled quickly to the surface, except without the lungs-bursting feeling. The golden air – was it air? – surrounding her roared as she raced forward faster and faster, hurtling toward the end. Leya shut her eyes tightly and sucked in a breath. Suddenly, she was falling with that sickening stomach-dropping feeling like on rollercoaster rides. Abruptly, all the sounds and lights stopped. Leya felt as if she were being pulled through a vacuum. Her eyes snapped open just as she fell downward, straight into Loki's arms.

Caught off-guard, Leya collapsed a little. Loki smiled at her. "Graceful as a swan," he teased gently. Slightly dazed from the ride, Leya didn't pull away immediately. _Ah, my head_. . . Leya moaned internally. Externally, she pressed her hand to her forehead and shut her eyes, trying to fight off a sudden wave of dizziness.

"Side-effect of the Bifrost – you get used to it after a while," Loki told her. If Leya hadn't known better, and if she'd been a different person, his comment might have sounded sympathetic. Instead, the statement just ticked her off. She shook off the last vestiges of nausea and pushed away from him.

"I know, and I am – I used to be used to it," she said, irritated that she'd let herself be so weak in front of him. _I must look like a mewling new-born kitten to him_ she thought to herself in disgust.

"And anyway, the last thing you should be worrying about is me. You're planning to destroy an entire race? There's a word for that – genocide. Don't do that. Not even to the Frost Giants," Leya continued. Loki started to turn away from her.

"Don't act out of pride or anger. Those kinds of actions never end well. You need to stop," frustrated that he didn't seem to be listening, Leya walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

Loki whirled around, throwing her hand off. "I know what I need to do! My brother is a worthless, arrogant, brainless brat; I was born to a throne, and I am the one worthy to be king," Loki shouted at her.

On guard, Leya stepped back. A treacherous light flashed behind Loki's green eyes, a not-so-subtle reminder of how dangerous he was. The two stared at each other in silence for a long moment, an unspoken message being communicated.

 _Ok. You win._

 _Good._

Suddenly, Loki stepped forward and kissed her, pulling her close. Shocked, Leya stood frozen for a moment, a million thoughts rushing through her head. Then she kissed him back.

Loki abruptly let go, then turned and walked out of the Bifrost dome.

Leya stood where she was, watching him gradually shrink in the distance. From where she stood, he didn't look so intimidating, he didn't look larger-than-life. From where she stood, she couldn't see the darkness, the danger lurking right behind those green eyes. From where she stood, he just looked like a young man. A young man, a fallen prince, carrying the weight of a realm and so much more on his shoulders. And it nearly broke what pieces were left of her heart.

Leya turned around just as Thor and the warriors arrived. Lady Sif immediately approached her.

"Are you all right?" she asked. Leya nodded. After Loki left, she'd felt numb, but now a slow sense of dread was creeping in. _Loki's going to destroy the Frost Giants. . . I need to stop him. . . I need to –_ she cut herself off, alarmed at how similar her current thoughts were to ones she'd had a long time ago. . . Leya forced herself to look Thor in the eye.

"You have to find Loki," she told him urgently.

Thor nodded, "I expected as much." He turned to Sif and the warriors three. "I'll go after Loki, you four go stop the Frosts Giants, buy us some time. Leya. . ."

Leya looked at him, "I'm going with you."

Thor gave her a hard look for a moment, judging whether she was all right. Leya raised her head defiantly, to say _I'm fine._ Thor finally nodded. The six of them left, Thor and Leya ahead, Lady Sif and the warriors following close behind.

At the end of the Rainbow Bridge, Sif and the warriors three left to fight the Frost Giants. Leya followed Thor apprehensively into the palace. They zig-zagged through the crumbling walls and collapsing pillars until they reached the King's chamber, where they found Loki holding Odin's staff, Gungnir, and standing over King Laufey's lifeless body. _Laufey! That's where the name is from, of course!_ Leya suddenly realized, recognizing the dead King of the Frost Giants. _Laufeyson. . . Loki is his son?! But, that still doesn't explain why he feels so familiar, why you let him kiss you. . ._

"Loki, stop this foolish madness. It will only end in suffering," Thor spoke, snapping Leya out of her thoughts.

Loki turned to him, lips curled in a sneer, "Since when did you become so incredibly sweet and caring? If I remember correctly, you're the one who wanted to kill the Frost Giants in the first place. When the people discover I am the one who defeated them, I will be hailed a hero."

"Why do you want the throne so badly?" Thor asked.

"I never wanted the throne! I only ever wanted to be your equal," Loki snapped bitterly. Leya could see the flash of hurt in his eyes. She stepped forward, preparing to speak, but before she could, Loki disappeared in a cloud of dark green smoke.

Thor's face was set in grim determination, "He'll have gone to the Bifrost, if he truly means to destroy the Frost Giants. I must go after him."

Leya nodded and took a step toward the door, but Thor shook his head, "No, you stay here. You've become a friend to me, and I don't want you to get hurt in the crossfire."

Leya opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, Thor took off, using Mjolnir to propel himself into the air. Leya shut her mouth and exhaled in exasperation. _So I have to go on foot!? Rude. . ._ She muttered, cursing to herself as she ran, retracing her steps out of the palace and toward the Rainbow Bridge.

When Leya finally arrived at the bridge, she saw Loki and Thor locked in combat. They were both strong, more than a match for each other, and neither appeared to be gaining the upper hand. Leya ran to them.

"Stop! Stop it both of you!" she shouted.

Thor and Loki both paused, turning to look at her. The hardness in Loki's expression seemed to soften slightly when he saw her, but he remained silent.

"I told you to stay away!" Thor shouted.

That seemed to snap Loki back to reality, and he took Thor's distraction as an opportunity to hit him hard in the face with the staff. Thor was thrown backward, and Loki stepped forward to hit him again, but Leya leaped toward them, kicking Loki in the chest and sending him backward. Then Thor was back on his feet, but Leya knocked him back again with a hit from the bow she was still carrying. This continued, Loki fighting Thor, Thor fighting Loki, and Leya fighting both of them in a desperate attempt to prevent the two from tearing each other apart.

Suddenly, a blow from Thor – or maybe it was Leya, she couldn't tell – sent Loki flying over the edge of the bridge. Leya let out a shout and threw herself after him. Thor quickly raced to catch Leya, then suddenly Odin was there too, holding onto Thor. Loki was clinging to Gungnir, Leya was holding the staff's other end, Thor held onto Leya's leg, and Odin was holding onto Thor. If the circumstances had been different, Leya might have laughed, or at least been impressed. But it's hard to be humorous when someone you care about is about to die.

Leya struggled to get a firmer grip on the slippery golden staff. Loki looked up past her to Odin.

"I could have done it, Father! I could have done it for you, for all of us!" Loki cried.

Odin slowly shook his head, "No, Loki."

"NO!" Thor shouted. But Loki's eyes had glazed over, his expression accepting and no longer fearful. Leya knew exactly what he was going to do.

"Loki," Leya said, desperation clear in her voice. "Loki, no, don't let go," she whispered.

Loki looked straight into Leya's eyes. "Goodbye," he whispered, then slowly let go of the staff.

Time stood still as Leya flung out a hand to grasp Loki's. But he didn't reach for it, and she couldn't catch him. Leya thought she screamed as she watched Loki fall into the abyss. Or maybe she was silent. Leya felt a ringing in her ears so loud, something from her past screaming at her, shrieking for attention. But Leya shut it out, she couldn't deal with it now, instead she focused on Loki. Against the black of space spattered with stars, Loki looked like an angel falling, and Leya could almost imagine the galaxies below him forming a net, a cushion, to catch him. But of course, they wouldn't. . . Leya struggled against Thor's grip as he hauled her back up to the bridge. _Loki!_ she cried internally. Leya watched Loki fall until he disappeared from sight, then gave up. She collapsed, exhausted and defeated.


	10. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Aftermath: Picking up the Pieces  
**

 _Some people believe in fate and destiny. I'm not one of those people. I've always believed we're all out here on our own, and at the end of the day, the only person looking out for you, the only person who you can truly trust, is yourself._

 _My name is Master Lyra Raven, but I go by the name of Leya Rivers. My home, even though I am Earth-born, is Nidavellir, another of the nine realms. There was a battle between the Asgardians and the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim about two decades ago, but nobody bothered to record or remember it. Asgard and Nidavellir were allies, so they joined in the fight. The Dark elves was using Earth as a bargaining chip of sorts, but it became a battlefield. My parents were killed, and a Nidavellirian soldier took me in as his own daughter. I was five years old. I grew up, and was trained as an Assassin for the King._

 _Once upon a time, I met someone who I trusted completely. But then he was torn away from me, just like my family, my friends, my home. Now I'm stuck here, on Earth, for eternity. That's why I don't bother trusting people anymore – who is there left to trust? I fell in love with a prince once, and it ended in disaster. I can't let that happen again. . . but what if it does?_

Leya let Thor guide her back to the Bifrost and numbly said goodbye to Lady Sif and the warriors three. She remained motionless as the Bifrost transported her and Thor back down to Earth.

Jane, Erik, and Agent Coulson were waiting for them, along with about seven of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s black cars and other agents. Thor went to talk to Jane and Erik, leaving Leya with Coulson.

"What happened?" Coulson asked.

Leya looked blankly at him and stated in a monotone, "Thor is from Asgard. He had to fight off the Frost Giants from taking over Asgard. And Loki died."

Coulson blinked. He considered her for a moment, then said, "We'll need to meet to get a statement, and more information. But for now, take a couple days. We'll be in touch, Rivers." Leya nodded, expressionless. Coulson put his hand on her shoulder briefly before moving to talk to Jane and Erik.

Thor came up to Leya, "Thank you for your help."

Leya looked up at him. "But Loki. . . I – I'm sorry," her voice broke.

Thor embraced her gently, "It wasn't your fault. Do not blame yourself."

Leya nodded, but would not meet his eyes.

"Goodbye, Thor," she said quietly, stepping back.

"Goodbye, Leya Rivers," Thor replied, then walked away. Thor kissed Jane before he left, promising to return someday for her. Leya, Coulson, Jane, and Erik stood together and watched as the brilliant Bifrost opened up and took Thor away.

Leya, Jane, and Erik returned to the house late in the evening. No one bothered to say anything, and Leya went straight up to her room. Leya stayed in her room the entire next day. That evening, Jane and Erik looked up as Leya came down the stairs carrying her suitcase. She paused in the kitchen.

"I need to go," Leya stated. Jane and Erik looked at her for a moment, Leya couldn't tell if it was pity or understanding in their gazes. Then Jane nodded and rose to hug her. Leya said goodbye to Jane and Erik, left through the glass door, got into a waiting taxi, and drove away.

Leya never showed for her follow-up with Coulson, but no one tried to track her down. She was Leya Rivers, the girl no one really knew, who no one really questioned. The girl who was fiercely independent and could disappear without a trace.

As the taxi drove through the vast and barren desert, Leya stared out the window. She didn't have a plan, didn't really know where she was going. Only knew she had to get away from here, the place where everything was still fresh and raw. As Leya watched the blood-red sun sink below the horizon, watched the brilliant stars light up the black sky above, one last thought spiraled through her mind. A delicate, barely-present wisp, yet full of sorrow so she was painfully aware of its presence.

 _Goodbye, Loki._

 **The End**

 _You can read the sequel, titled "The Avenged"_


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